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A thick plume of black smoke rose over Port Washington’s south side Monday night as a farm tractor tilling a field near the Misty Ridge subdivision caught fire shortly before 6 p.m.

The fire quickly consumed the Case 315 Magnum tractor, which was engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived at the scene off East Sauk Road just outside the city limits, Port Washington Assistant Fire Chief Steve Schmidt said.

During a school year in which the Port Washington-Saukville School District’s referendum debt payment is increasing and the state’s school choice program is putting increased pressure on the tax levy, school tax bills are predicted to do the unexpected — remain relatively flat.

The School Board on Monday approved a 2018-19 tax levy that despite the district’s referendum debt obligation and state vouchers that result in taxpayers covering the cost of private school tuition for some students will increase by only $13,253, or .08%, to $16.6 million.

The idea of creating a community gathering space complete with a decorative metal sculpture and fire feature at the east end of Main Street in downtown Port Washington got rave reviews from officials last week.

Both the Design Review Board and Plan Commission approved the concept plan for the plaza, which is being proposed by Port Main Street Inc.’s Design Committee.

“This is great,” Ald. Mike Ehrlich, an architect, said. “We’ve been working for years to come up with something there.

Halloween takes center stage in Port Washington and throughout the county this weekend.

The final farmers market of the season will be held on East Main Street between Wisconsin and Franklin streets in downtown Port Washington from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. A band will be on hand to entertain those attending.

Port Main Street Inc.’s annual Harvest at the Market celebration will be held in conjunction with the event.

Ozaukee County, which is on the hook to pay more than $98,000 in attorney’s fees related to a guardianship case it lost, will appeal it to the state Supreme Court, officials decided Wednesday.

The county Executive Committee voted unanimously to appeal the case on the advice of Corporation Counsel Rhonda Gordon. If the high court chooses to take the case, oral arguments would likely begin in spring.

A member of the Muttland Meadows dog park board of directors was charged last week in Ozaukee County Circuit Court with embezzling thousands of dollars over more than four years from the Town of Grafton nonprofit organization.

Grafton resident Donald R. Colber, 60, who faces one count of felony theft, is accused of stealing $17,819 from the dog park on South Green Bay Avenue, which according to the organization relies completely on donations from park users for financial support.

Anchor Men’s Wear, which for decades has catered to businessmen looking for suits, teens renting prom garb and grooms seeking tuxedoes in downtown Port Washington, is going out of business as owner Scott Schweizer prepares to retire.

Signs went up announcing the closing sale this week, and fliers were sent to many of Schweizer’s regular customers notifying them of the event.

“We’re going out on the top of our game,” Schweizer said Monday as the shop was being readied for the sale.

Cedarburg High School graduate Eric Larsen has led expeditions to both the north and south poles and climbed Mount Everest — actually he was the first person to do all three over the course of a year — so his latest adventure should be a walk in the park.